Good morning, Moms, today is your day.

It is this one day, one out of 365, that is truly yours.

It is your day to sit back and let the rest of us wait onyou.

It is your day to reflect and smile as those around you scurryaround doing for you what you do every day for us.

In my life I have had four moms who have watched over me – mymother, my grandmother, the mother of my two children and mymother-in-law. But actually, I have had even more: those of myfriends growing up who watched over each of us in theneighborhood.

As news people do – scrounging for stories to pique the interest ofreaders – ABC News on Friday came across a story where someone wastrying to put a monetary value, a salary if you will, onmothers!

They broke down the different jobs a mother does, starting withcooking and cleaning, taking care of children and running carpoolsfor example. They came up with nine separate jobs, then identifiedthe average time spent and average wages paid for such service inthe private sector.

The final annual dollar value? Well, let’s just say Moms we loveyou more than you know!

When I look back on my “mothers” and think of the things they didfor me, I know they had a pretty tough job – way above and beyondthe ones ABC identified. You know what I mean, the life’s lessonsthey taught, the patience they sometime had to dig deeply to find,the hugs they generously passed out, the endless encouragement theyoffered, the forgiveness they gave, as well as the endless lovethey offered.

Two week ago, the Jacobs family gathered together in Florida tocelebrate a milestone birthday for our mother.

We spent a week together visiting an area that has special meaningto all of us as it is where we lived prior to moving to Brookhavenin the late 1950s, where my grandmother enjoyed her retirementyears – she died at 102 – and where my parents enjoyed vacationingin their retirement.

I watched my mother’s face as she smiled over her three boys. Ichuckled over the independence of three sons – who are veryindependent – and how many deep breaths she must have taken overthe years to find the patience to tend to an all-malehousehold!

As I chided the mother of my two daughters Friday night over theABC News story and had a little fun at her expense, I thought aboutall the mothers who have watched over me, as well as Ann Kirk andMeredith, all these many years and how blessed we have been witheach.

Happy Mother’s Day to each of you and thanks for all that you doand have done.

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602, orsend e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.